Weekday showing, long after the film's premier and publicity rush... I wasn't surprised there were maybe only eight people in the theater. Wife and I took our usual seats in the middle of row three.

Passing a man at the end of row four, with a boy, maybe seven or eight years old, sitting next to him.

Geeez, idiot! Didn't you see the 'R' rating?

This isn't like a Star Wars flick where an 'R' is lots and lots of dark, imaginary violence.

Eastwood is gonna try to show us the real thing.

And he did.

Kid was doing the usual talking back to the screen thing that some kids do at movies. Cute, but annoying all at the same time.

Until the first disemboweled soldier.

Then I heard a tight little gasp from behind my left shoulder.

And heard no more noise from that row.

Stupid father.

Me?

Eyes were wet by the second scene. Probably the only ones in the theater, at that point. But I knew who Mr. Bradley was asking for, and I knew what happened to him.

And it was all real, folks. And it's all true.

Took all the control I had to not break out bawling. More than once.

We stayed through the credits, as is our habit. And were surprised to both later admit we did not read them.

As we shuffled into the kitchen to feed the past-hungry heelers, I told the wife I was gratified Eastwood had stayed so close to the book. Other than the minor, annoying error with the second flag raising. And yeah, his editting choices were hard to follow if you didn't already know the story.

She asked, "I assume in the book they tell us what happened to Iggy?"

Yes. In the book, they tell us what happened to Iggy.

And there was no point in saying any more.

And Sis?

If Dad should ever ponder whether he should go see this film...

The answer is "No."